Flexible drain for sinks



April 11, 1967 v BURKE ETAL 3,313,314

FLEXIBLE DRAIN FOR SINKS Filed May 8, 1964 lNl/E/VTORS VERNON BURKE JFSSE' E BYRD 5y Q Q 1 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,313,314 FLEXIBLE DRAIN FOR SINKS Vernon Burke and Jesse E. Byrd, both of Lobelviile, Tenn. 37097 Filed May 8, 1964, Ser. No. 366,107 2 Claims. ((31. 137247.27)

This invention relates to sink and lavatory drains and consists more particularly in new and useful improvements in a flexible drain assembly including a trap element designed to facilitate the easy dislodgment of foreign matter.

The metal drain pipes now in use with the conventional gooseneck traps usually consist of at least seven pieces which require the services of a skilled plumber for installation, and a certain degree of precision is necessary in connecting and positioning the drain elements with respect to a sink and the floor drain. In addition, when the traps of conventional drain assemblies become clogged, it is necessary to employ chemicals in order to free them.

It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide a drain assembly which is formed of an integral length of flexible, resilient material which requires a minimum of connections for installation and which, due to the flexibility of the material employed, can easily compensate for errors in the lining up of a sink drain with respect to the fixed floor drain.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a drain assembly of this nature, a novel trap element consisting of an annular loop in the flexible drain tube which, when clogged by solid material, may be easily freed by simply squeezing the trap to force the matter through the drain opening, without the use of chemicals.

A further object of the invention is to provide a flexible drain assembly which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install, and possesses substantially the same life span as conventional metal drains.

A still further object is to provide a drain assembly which, due to its integral construction and minimum of connections, greatly reduces the possibility of leakage between the sink and the floor drain.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features herein set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings in which numerals of like character designate similar parts throughout both views:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation illustrating one embodiment of the drain assembly of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

In the drawings, the numeral 3 generally represents the drain assembly which in the embodiment illustrated is designed for attachment to the outlets of two adjacent sinks or the like. Thus, the upper portion of the assembly is bifurcated and consists of two branches 4 and 5 which terminate at their lower extremities in communication with a common drain tube 6. The upper ends of the branches 4 and 5 are adapted to be slipped over the sink drains 7 and 7a respectively, and connected thereto by any suitable clamps, such as hose-type clamps 8 and 8a. The lower end of the drain tube 6 is similarly slipped over the end of the floor drain 9 to which it is connected by a similar clamp 10.

3,313,3l4 Patented Apr. 11, 1967 The entire assembly is composed of any suitable flexible and resilient material which is resistant to grease and chemicals, such for example as Neoprene or some of the other known plastic materials having these qualities. Intermediate its ends, the drain tube 6 is vertically coiled upon itself, providing an internally uninterrupted spiral trap loo 11 whereby material flowing into the tube 6 from the branches 4 and 5 is caused to first travel in a continuous helical path through the loop 11 before entering the floor drain 9. Liquid collects to a predetermined level in the lower half 11a of the drain loop which seals the assembly against the upward passage of gases and odors from the floor drain 9, and, likewise, any solids or foreign material entering the assembly are collected in this lower half 11a.

In the event that this solid material or foreign matter collects in the trap to an extent which tends to clog the drain, it is simply necessary to squeeze the lower half 11a of the resilient loop 11 with the application of hand pressure which will force the foreign material out of the clogged area from whence it will complete its travel around the loop 11 and down the drain tube 6.

While the drawings illustrate a double drain assembly, it will be apparent that the same principle may be embodied with a single drain. In such an embodiment, the upper end of the drain tube 6 would simply be provided with a clamp similar to 8 or 8a and connected to the single sink drain pipe. Otherwise, the installation and operation of the invention are the same as those just described.

It can be readily seen that due to the flexible, resilient nature of the material of the drain assembly, any error in the alignment of the sink drains 7 and 7a with respect to a fixed floor drain 9 can easily be compensated for, as the trap loop 11 allows for a minimum 8" offset by simply turning the loop and bottom portion of the drain to fit a preset floor drain. Also, inasmuch as the only connections employed are those to the sink drains 7 and 7a and the floor drain 9, the integral nature of the assembly provides a minimum of points of leakage. These same features also facilitate the ease of installation which can be accomplished with simple household tools and without the requirement of a skilled plumber.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the invention may be readily understood by those skilled in the art without further description, it being borne in mind that numerous changes may be made in the details disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

We claim:

1. A drain assembly for sinks and the like comprising a drain pipe formed of an integral tube of flexible, resilient material, internally uninterrupted throughout its length, a predetermined portion of said tube between its extremities being bodily, vertically coiled upon itself forming an internally uninterrupted, flexible, resilient trap loop interposed in the line of flow through said tube, providing a continuous helical passageway, and means for connecting respective extremities of said tube to a sink drain and floor drain, whereby solid materials clogging said trap may be dislodged and caused to continue through said drain pipe by squeezing the clogged area of the trap loop.

2. A drain assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tube is bifurcated at one end forming-a pair of branch 3 4 lines, said trap 100p being disposed in that portion of 2,484,031 10/1949 Havrenious 137-24711 the tube below the bifurcated end thereof, and means 2,662,409 12/1953 Dwyer 138-118 X for connecting the inlet ends of said branch lines to the 2,851,244 9/ 1958 Monson 251-368 X drains of a pair of adjacent sinks. 2,935,992 5/1960 Barker et a1. 137-247 5 3,141,472 7/1964 Russell 137247 X References Cited by the Examiner Primary Examiner.

1,378,181 5/1921 McGu kin 137 247 27 D. H. LAMBERT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DRAIN ASSEMBLY FOR SINKS AND THE LIKE COMPRISING A DRAIN PIPE FORMED OF AN INTEGRAL TUBE OF FLEXIBLE, RESILIENT MATERIAL, INTERNALLY UNINTERRUPTED THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH, A PREDETERMINED PORTION OF SAID TUBE BETWEEN ITS EXTREMITIES BEING BODILY, VERTICALLY COILED UPON ITSELF FORMING AN INTERNALLY UNINTERRUPTED, FLEXIBLE, RESILIENT TRAP LOOP INTERPOSED IN THE LINE OF FLOW THROUGH SAID TUBE, PROVIDING A CONTINUOUS HELICAL PASSAGEWAY, AND MEANS FOR CONNECTING RESPECTIVE EXTREMITIES OF SAID TUBE TO A SINK DRAIN AND FLOOR DRAIN, WHEREBY SOLID MATERIALS CLOGGING SAID TRAP MAY BE DISLODGED AND CAUSED TO CONTINUE THROUGH SAID DRAIN PIPE BY SQUEEZING THE CLOGGED AREA OF THE TRAP LOOP. 